The riding

Hull-Aylmer includes the half of the City of Gatineau that’s west of the Gatineau River, as well as the areas between the Ottawa River and Highway 148 as far west as Terry Fox Road. Liberal Greg Fergus won the riding in 2015 with 51 per cent of the vote.

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Josée Poirier Defoy /jpg

Josée Poirier-Defoy — Green Party of Canada

Are you a resident of the riding you’re running in? How long have you lived there? And if not, where do you live?

I grew up in Aylmer and have been the proud owner of a house there since 2000. My two daughters and two of my grandchildren now live in that house, and I live five minutes away in the Pontiac riding.

Please tell us why you are running for office.

I am running for office because I believe it’s time to stop accepting the unacceptable. Change, real change, takes courage and leadership. I firmly believe that the Green Party will bring to Parliament the courage and the leadership that we need to tackle climate change and effectively protect Canadians from its impacts.

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I am running because I believe the economy is changing and we need to prepare and support Canadians and businesses as they transition into the jobs and opportunities that the future economy offers.

I am running because I believe that change is still possible, and I want to be part of the solution.

What is the most important local issue in your riding?

Adaptation to climate change, without hesitation.

The citizens of Hull-Aylmer have been suffering the direct consequences of climate change with recurring floods and increasingly violent storms, even tornadoes, over the last few years, and the severity and frequency of these events will only increase unless we act now.

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If elected, what would be your top local priority, and how will you tackle it as an MP?

As an MP, I will work tirelessly to protect the citizens of Hull-Aylmer against the effects of climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. I will support public investment in green infrastructure and climate change adaptation, as well as regulation of industrial emitters.

I will support Canada’s transition to a green economy because it is crucial for our future … and it is good for the economy! Our platform will create millions of green jobs and will ensure the retraining of tens of thousands of workers for the economy of the future.

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I will also work to reform our food system to ensure access to nutritious and affordable food for all, and I will be relentless in voicing the concerns of the citizens of Hull-Aylmer and working on creative solutions.

What was your party’s greatest success during this past parliament?

Making the environment the key issue of the present election is certainly our greatest success. Canadians want climate change to be addressed and we are finally doing that. The Green Wave is coming.

Its greatest failure?

The fact that there was not enough Green MPs in the last Parliament to ensure that we meet the targets of the Paris Agreement. We are asking voters to give us the balance of power this time around so we can change that and make sure that Canada does its part to fight climate change.

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Mike Duggan — Conservative Party of Canada

Are you a resident of the riding you’re running in? How long have you lived there? And if not, where do you live?

Yuko and I moved to Hull-Aylmer in 2001 to raise our family. The two older children are in university with the youngest still in high school.

Please tell us why you are running for office.

I am running for office because I do not have faith in Trudeau’s Liberal government. They have failed miserably in their 2015 commitments and must be removed from power on October 21. Instead of responsibly managing the economy and helping transition Canada to a renewable energy future, they continuously embroil us in destructive social issues while running up massive deficit spending. Too many of our international relations are a disaster. As I have discovered from my door-to-door campaign and social media presence, our fellow citizens are greatly concerned and do not want another four years of Trudeau. Let us restore objectivity and reason to our socio-political discourse, and elect a responsible government that will manage the economy and environment sustainably. We Conservatives have the capacity to do this, and I am proud to be part of the team of 338 candidates working tirelessly to offer their services to fellow Canadians.

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What is the most important local issue in your riding?

Transportation – population growth has put our infrastructure under duress. Conservatives will immediately restore the tax credit for public transit passes (cancelled by the Trudeau Liberals). Public transportation reduces congestion, is greener, and increases productivity. The increased ridership will help justify investing in a modern fast transit system for Hull-Aylmer.

If elected, what would be your top local priority, and how will you tackle it as an MP?

My top local priority is transportation. First, we implement our transit tax credit as promised to help increase ridership and request that the STO (Gatineau’s transit authority) make public their latest study on fast transit for Hull-Aylmer. Let us talk openly and pick the corridor(s) and technologies best apt for our needs and resources. Quebec’s Premier François Legault has already committed substantial provincial funding. I plan to have a key role in such a federal-led initiative that considers Gatineau-Ottawa as one urban system. Imagine deploying the Prince of Wales bridge for a Gatineau Rapibus extension linking to the O-Train at Bayview station! There is also the Phoenix system that has been broken for 3.5 years after a premature launch – I would like to accompany the efforts to resolve it. I have a background in IT, federal programs, the complexities of collective agreements, and have been a serving municipal councillor for the past six years.

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What was your party’s greatest success during this past parliament? Its greatest failure?

In the last Parliament, Canada’s Conservatives were very successful at demonstrating that Justin Trudeau was simply not as advertised. After Trudeau said he would be accountable and ethical, Conservatives demonstrated how he used the power of his office to reward his supporters and punish his critics. After Trudeau said he would help the middle-class, Conservatives exposed him for raising taxes on 80 per cent of middle-class Canadians and for bringing in a carbon tax that makes everyday essentials more expensive. And after Trudeau said he would balance the budget, Conservatives shone the light on Trudeau’s massive deficits that threaten the sustainability of social programs and impose increased taxes on future generations. Canadians are under pressure and worried about their future. Their dreams are getting further out of reach. They are looking for help. Conservatives understand that and under Andrew Scheer, they will help Canadians get ahead if elected on October 21.

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Greg FergusWayne Cuddington/Ottawa Citizen

Greg Fergus — Liberal Party of Canada

Are you a resident of the riding you’re running in? How long have you lived there? And if not, where do you live?

Yes, and my wife and I have lived here for 24 years.

Please tell us why you are running for office.

I am passionate about public service. Government can do great things when it works closely with people and communities. For example, I’m working to bring a new, green energy tramway to this riding. With the Canada Child Benefit, we’ve lowered the poverty rate in Hull-Aylmer and across Canada by one-third! I’ve hosted more than two dozen townhall meetings to hear citizens’ ideas and concerns on important and controversial issues. I know that when we work together, the people of Hull-Aylmer can solve any issue that presents itself to our community. There is more work to be done: transportation, more affordable housing for seniors and young families to name a few. This is why I’m eager to keep going, together with my community.

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What is the most important local issue in your riding?

Without a doubt: we need better infrastructure. My riding is growing rapidly and we need modern infrastructure to relieve the increased volume of car traffic – a new system that must be clean and green. We’re looking at a tramway as an innovative way of getting people around.

If elected, what would be your top local priority, and how will you tackle it as an MP?

As I mentioned, better public transportation is important. I am working with local, municipal, and provincial partners to bring improved services to our community. Also, as our community grows, the need for affordable housing grows with it. Once again, this is an issue where community leaders need to have an active and supportive partner at the federal level. We have seen the success of sustainable, clean infrastructure projects in cities all over the country, such as Ottawa’s new light rail system. We need to see that same successful approach taken in Gatineau as well.

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What was your party’s greatest success during this past parliament? Its greatest failure?

Our government has made a real difference for children and families. Through the Canada Child Benefit, we have lifted 900,000 Canadians out of poverty – more than 300,000 of them are children. More than 10,000 families benefit from the Canada Child Benefit in Hull-Aylmer. We’ve also helped middle class families by lowering their taxes, leaving them with $2,000 more in their pockets than they had in 2015. And, we’ve invested more than $8 million in affordable housing for more than 3,600 units in Hull-Aylmer.

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On the other hand, I wish we could have acted quicker to help public servants affected by the failure of the Phoenix pay system that was created by the Harper Conservative government. Too many people in Hull-Aylmer were hurt by this misguided attempt to downsize government.

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Joanie Riopel — Bloc Québécois

Are you a resident of the riding you’re running in? How long have you lived there? And if not, where do you live?

I have lived in the City of Gatineau since my birth; I currently live in the riding of Gatineau and I work in the riding of Hull-Aylmer.

Please tell us why you are running for office.

I graduated in technical rehabilitation and criminal justice. I’ve worked with several vulnerable clienteles: women’s shelters, child victims of sexual abuse, and children in rehabilitation centres (services offered by the director of youth protection). I am currently a technician in social work at the Portages-de-l ‘Outaouais school board. My experience in the social services network and in community organizations has led me to want to be more involved in reducing social inequities and giving every child an equal opportunity to thrive in a sustainable planet.

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What is the most important local issue in your riding?

There are several local problems, but a major issue in the riding of Hull-Aylmer is the lack of transportation in the west. The federal government needs to give the provincial government money dedicated to infrastructure. It is up to Quebeckers to decide what are their needs and priorities in their territory.

If elected, what would be your top local priority, and how will you tackle it as an MP?

A priority for all of Quebec and specifically in Hull-Aylmer is that we must tackle climate change very seriously. You have observed, as I did, the climate change consequences we have experienced in the region lately: repeated floods and tornadoes. The provinces control land use planning, transit systems, energy production and natural resource development, but there are two essentials levels of action in Ottawa: taxation and regulation. The Bloc Québécois is proposing to make maximum use of these two levels to put them at the service of the environment issue.

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As long as it will not become expensive to pollute and advantageous to reduce its carbon footprint, Canada will continue to pollute and Quebec will struggle to take all the necessary actions. That is what we are condemned to by the current tax system, which is the opposite of the polluter payers principle.

What was your party’s greatest success during this past parliament? Its greatest failure?

While the federal parties rejected the existence of an imbalance between the responsibilities of Quebec and Ottawa’s revenues, the Bloc Québécois recognized it and, above all, it sought $ 3.3 billion for Quebecers. $3.3 billion is the accumulated salary of thousands of nurses, teachers and professionals. An extraordinary gain for Quebec. The Bloc pulled that money out in 2007 when it held the balance of power under Stephen Harper’s minority government.

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Unfortunately, in the last election, we did not manage to get the balance of power. As a result, we are back in force this year so that we can be recognized as an official opposition party in order to be able to look for winnings like in 2007.

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Rowen Tanguay — People’s Party of Canada

Are you a resident of the riding you’re running in? How long have you lived there? And if not, where do you live?

I’ve lived in Hull since the day I was born. Hull is my hometown. Please tell us why you are running for office.

I’m running for office because I’ve never felt at home with the Conservative Party of Canada, and all the other parties appear to have veered a bit off course. I consider myself a classical liberal, but the reason that I’m with the People’s Party is not just for ideological reasons, but rather because I recognize that our policies are the best for Canada. I love for instance that we’re finally saying enough is enough to liberal and conservative-backed corporate subsidies. Canada spends more money each year on corporate subsidies than we do on our defence! That’s an enormous amount of money for something that doesn’t stimulate our economy in the slightest. Liberals call it investment but our investment strategy is to give back money to all Canadians, not just the very top.

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What is the most important local issue in your riding?

In Hull-Aylmer, the most important issue is that people are feeling like it’s not getting any easier to keep your head above water, despite the overall economic growth in Canada. We in the PPC want to give people a reason to believe they can get ahead again!

If elected, what would be your top local priority, and how will you tackle it as an MP?

A big problem for Hull-Aylmer, and for every other city in North America for the past few decades, has been the war on drugs. Over-policing of substances has discouraged addicts from seeking treatment, jailed many people unjustly, and has sent a message to the Canadian people that our government believes we can’t be responsible for our own bodies. Now with the opioid crisis sweeping the continent, it is time for bold action on drugs. That is why as deputy of Hull-Aylmer, I would work to end the drug war, once and for all, by fighting with any and all truly liberal-minded members of Parliament from my party and others, who recognize that decriminalization is best for addicts, and non-addicts alike. I could think of nothing better Canada could do for liberty world-wide, than to join Portugal and adopt the proven-effective economic policy of the future!

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What was your party’s greatest success during this past parliament? Its greatest failure?

Our party is new, but our party leader, Maxime Bernier holds a seat in the House of Commons. One achievement of his during this past parliament that I admired was when he called for the end of supply management, a system that exists to protect a small minority of Canadian farmers, at the cost of all Canadian consumers. The other political parties face enormous pressure from the dairy industry not to talk about this issue, Max alone was willing to stand up in the House of Commons and call for the complete abolition of a system that significantly increases the price of groceries for all Canadians. That’s the kind of government we can expect from the People’s Party, one that isn’t beholden to anyone but the Canadian people. It’s one of the reasons why we call ourselves the People’s Party!

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Nicolas Thibodeau — New Democratic Party of Canada

Are you a resident of the riding you’re running in? How long have you lived there? And if not, where do you live?

I’m a resident of Hull-Aylmer. I moved into this neighbourhood in 2016 with my wife Lara.

Please tell us why you are running for office.

I’m in it to bring back a progressive voice for Hull-Aylmer to Parliament. I’ve worked in the veterinary field and in architecture before heading to the Hill, eight years ago. With my experience, I am confident I will be able to support and advocate for the people, whether it’s for peace, a cleaner environment or social justice. I want to become as good as an MP as my mentor Jack Layton.

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What is the most important local issue in your riding?

The Office de l’habitation de l’Outaouais has 2,000 people on the waiting list. In four years of Liberal government only 75 units were built in Hull-Aylmer. More than 5,000 kids in our region suffer from food insecurity and yet 30 to 50 per cent of food is wasted.

If elected, what would be your top local priority, and how will you tackle it as an MP?

Hull-Aylmer needs to have an MP that will walk the talk for the environment. To tackle the urgent environmental crisis, my LEED accreditation will be useful to grasp what needs to be done. Buildings contribute to 35 per cent of GHG and waste millions of litres a day everyday.

What was your party’s greatest success during this past parliament?

The passing of NDP MP Romeo Saganash’s Bill C-262. This bill was to ensure that the Canadian laws are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Unfortunately, the bill was defeated in the Senate.

Its greatest failure?

We didn’t convince the previous governments to adequately protect the Gatineau Park. The NDP introduced three legislations in Parliament and each time Liberals and Conservatives refused to take the necessary actions.

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